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The United States Olympic Committee (USOC), United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Football League (NFL) announced today the formation of a landmark research collaborative designed to “further curtail the use of banned and illegal substances in sport.”

The Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC), a non-profit organization, will be combining resources to, “underwrite meaningful and scientifically legitimate anti-doping research,” according to announcement released by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

This new partnership will begin this year with fund-raising efforts which will allow them to make targeted grants in support of non-partisan and independent scientific research to be conducted at universities and other world-class research institutions.

To kick off the collaboration, a combined $10 million has contributed, with each of the founding members of the partnership having a representative on the Board of Governors, which will oversee the research collaborative.

The National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL) and Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) will also be participating and contributing financially to the research collaboration.

“It is vital that the major sport organizations in America work together to combat a problem that, left unchecked, has the potential to destroy the value and integrity of sport,” said USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth. “In order to make greater progress in the fight against doping, significantly more must be done in the area of research, which is why the USOC created the Partnership for Clean Competition. Major League Baseball, the National Football League, USADA and the additional participating organizations have joined our efforts to combat this problem in a more aggressive way, and we commend them for uniting with us to address what has become a national issue.

“Ultimately, we are in a battle to protect and preserve the benefits of sport participation for the youth of our country,” added Ueberroth.

“Major League Baseball’s support of this important new effort by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency continues our commitment to fight the use of performance-enhancing substances among our athletes,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “I am hopeful that our alliance with the Partnership for Clean Competition, as well as those with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Taylor Hooton Foundation, among others, will make an impact in detecting the use of these illegal substances and in educating the public about their dangers.”

“We are pleased to join the USOC and other partners in this collaborative program to develop the next generation of anti-doping strategies for the benefit of all levels of athletic competition,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Our support of the Partnership for Clean Competition is consistent with our longstanding commitment to invest in research that advances the goal of eliminating doping in sport.”

“The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has always recognized the importance of credible scientific research to protect clean sport and those who compete with integrity,” said USADA Chief Executive Officer Travis T. Tygart. “The Partnership for Clean Competition is a vital new initiative to further advance our ongoing efforts to eradicate doping from sport through science. USADA welcomes and greatly appreciates the shared commitment of the U.S. Olympic Committee, National Football League and Major League Baseball, and that of others who join us in this important endeavor.”